"What's for Dinner?!" I'm always thinking about it, thought I'd share.

"What's for Dinner?!" I'm always thinking about it, thought I'd share.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Weekly Menu Dec. 30th - Jan. 3rd

Monday-
Roasted Acorn Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas
Chopped Salad with Roasted Pumpkin Seeds and a Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

Tuesday-
"New Year's Eve Dinner - Happy 2014"
Slow Braised Beef with Porcini Mushrooms and Red Wine
Oven Roasted Potatoes, Sea Salt and Rosemary
Asparagus with Garlic and Parmesan

Wednesday-
New Year's Day!!
Roasted Pork Loin with Fennel-Mustard Crust
Sauerkraut with Bacon and Caraway
Great Beans and Shallots

Thursday-
Pan Seared Tilapia with Crab
Ratatouille Vegetables

Friday-
"Steak and Martini Night"
Prime Aged Bone-in Ribeye
Crispy Shallots
Baby Arugula Salad with Gorgonzola and Tomatoes



Saturday, December 14, 2013

Weekly Menu Dec. 14th - Dec. 20th

Saturday-
Dinner out with Susan and Matt - Steven Lelli's on the Green

Sunday-
Chicken Mole Enchiladas
Chopped Salad, Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

Monday-
Butternut Squash and Roasted Garlic Cassoulet
Green Beans

Tuesday-
Oven Roasted Salmon with a Sweet Onion Glaze
Celery Salad with Dates, Almonds, and Parmesan

Wednesday-
Beef and Black Bean Chili

Thursday-
Cheese Burger Lettuce Wraps
Sweet Potatoes Fries with Green Onions and Bacon

Friday-
Chicken Cacciatore
Spaghetti Squash



Thursday, December 12, 2013

Pan Seared Snook with Crab & Citrus Buerre Blanc

I recently was down in Naples Florida and cooked a dinner for a couple of clients.  The host, a fabulous fisherman asked me to prepare Snook.  Truth be told, I never cooked this beautiful fish before.  I had it once about 25 years ago at a private party and just remembered that it was a firm, very tasty, meaty fleshed fish.  So, I punted and here's what came out...

4 Snook fillets (You can easily substitute Grouper, Sea Bass, or any firm white fish.)
2 Tbsp. Flour
4oz. Crab meat
1 Tbsp. Shallots, peeled and sliced
1 clove Garlic, peeled and sliced
3 Tbsp. Olive oil

Buerre Blanc-
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
8 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp minced shallot
1/2 C. White wine
1Tbsp. Lemon juice
1 Tsp. Orange zest
1 Tsp. Lemon zest
1 C. Heavy cream
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Add oil to a sauté pan and heat over medium heat.  Add shallots and garlic to the oil and cook slowly to infuse flavors to the oil, about 10-15 minutes.  Do not burn.  Remove garlic and shallots from oil, discard solids and reserve oil to sauté fish.

In a medium sauce pan add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil, heat over medium high heat.  Once hot, add shallots and sweat for 3-4 minutes.  Add orange and lemon zests and bay leaf, cook another minute.  Increase heat to high and add wine and lemon juice.  Reduce by half.  Add heavy cream and bring to a boil, stirring often.  Be careful cream will expand rapidly and if not watched will boil over and cause a fire on the stove top.  Lower heat and reduce cream by half, stirring constantly.  Once cream has thickened to the consistency of a sauce, strain through a fine sieve into another small pot.  Discard the solids.  Put sauce back on low heat and whisk in remaining butter.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Keep sauce warm, but do not boil as it will break.

Season fish fillets with salt and pepper and dust with flour.  Place sauté pan with the seasoned oil on medium high heat and get hot.  Carefully add fish, skin side up and cook to just golden brown, 5-6 minutes. Turn and cook skin side for a minute or two.  Remove from pan and place fish on a buttered baking tray and top with crab.  Put into hot oven and cook until fish is just done, depending on the fillets' size, about 8-10 minutes.  Once done, remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.  Plate the fish and top with some of the Buerre Blanc and parsley.  Serve and enjoy.





Chilled Shrimp Served with a Jicama, Carrot, & Apple Salad

Salad:
Equal parts shredded Jicama, Honey Crisp Apple & Carrot
Lemon juice
Honey, to taste (a drizzle)
Olive oil
Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper
Garnish - chiffonade Chive

In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Reserve for shrimp.

Shrimp-

24 large uncooked shrimp, in shells

Court Bouillon:

6 C. Water
1 C. White wine
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Equal parts onion, celery, and carrots
3-4 Thyme branches
3-4 parsley stems
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
2-3 Bay leaves
Kosher salt, black pepper, to taste

In a large pot combine all ingredients.  Taste Bouillon it should taste like a soup, very flavorful.  Bring just to a boil and reduce heat immediately.  Bring water temperature down to 145-155°F.  Carefully put shrimp, in their shells, into the bouillon.  Cook until just firm, about 6-7 minutes.  Drain shrimp mixture into a colander and spread shrimp with vegetables on a sheet pan and place into the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.  Once cold, peel shells from the shrimp and remove veins.  Keep chilled until service.

Serve shrimp with Jicama salad and some cocktail sauce.